Work started immediately. I wanted Oliver to look as fabulously as I can make him be.
"Ouch! Not so tight!"
It wasn't working really well.
"You know Aria, it'd probably help if you'd stop squeezing the life out of him. Heavens know why you'd want to measure his waist seven times." Prima spoke with a bored tone, looking over her calipers as she worked on one of her pieces. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her – considering she wouldn't be able to see me, and I live for attention – and instead went on to release my grip around the measuring tape I had. Oliver made it no secret of his relief, heaving a large sigh followed by an exaggerated intake of breathe. Can you blame me for hitting the sucker on his back for his behavior?
"Would you quit hurting me?" He wailed.
"Hey, you're living under our roof and this is the thanks I get?"
"Thanks I get."
"Okay, Prima, dually noticed, but he should be helping us out with the measurements without complaints."
"Well, try not to suffocate me then!" His cheeks puffed up, and with squinted eyes, he attempted to look angry at me. Attempt being the keyword here, because if he thought he was intimidating me, he was dead wrong. He was just making himself look even cuter in my eyes, as if that was possible.
"Oh, what would happen if you were wearing a maid's outfit with that look…"
Oops, did I say that out? I think I did. Oliver suddenly looked terrified to see me.
"We won't be promoting drag fittings if he doesn't want." Bam. Just like that Prima demolished my thoughts.
"You, ma'am, are no fun at all." And I left it at that, instead turning my attention back to my charts of my newest project.
"Don't forget to calibrate the measurements."
"Yes, ma'am." As I went to work doing just that, after the sarcastic response to my boss, my eyes shifted from time to time over to Oliver, who fidgeted in place. God forbid what… "Quit messing around with the tunic! You're gonna ruin it!"
He yelped, hands letting the calico printed cloth go. "It's itchy!"
"Get over it!"
Before I could get another word out of him, the bell next to the front door chimed, announcing the arrival of a potential customer.
"Prima, baby!"
Or not. I cringed at the statement my eyes on Oliver and away from the guest who shall remain nameless.
"Hello, Cul. Welcome back." Dang it, Prima!
"Heya, I came to look up on my favorite clothes store!" My least favorite red head strode around the limited space in the middle of the store, between shelves stacked high with handmade clothes. She walked around the mannequins set up around before making her way towards my workspace, looking like she didn't know I was here. "Morning, IA! How ya doing?"
Oh, how I cringed. I do not like putting up with this time of annoying mingling with this monster of a person. The last time she was in the store, she nearly tore apart a collection of my finest, finished works. Understandably, though Prima cut me no sort of slack at all, I fell into a slight depression, unable to believe my work nearly got tossed to the trash. When it came to Cul – I'd like to refer to her as She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named – the less attention one gave her, the more likely she'll leave the store in boredom. Such were my tactics whenever I was forced to tend to her because my heartless boss left me alone in the shop for the day to do… whatever Prima does.
In this one occasion, though, it probably wasn't too wise of a move to leave her to her doings. When she obviously didn't get a reaction – and a hint – from me, red eyes trained on the newcomer.
"Hello, and who might you be?" The foreboding curiosity was thick in her voice. Inner alarms demanded I put a stop to whatever impeding interest sprouted from Cul's little mind.
"Okay, break it up!" I placed myself in between the two. She backed away from my sudden movement with evident surprise. The force of which I threw myself in not only managed to shock her…
…but also managed to push back Oliver.
With a –really—girlish kind of scream, he fell back in a mess of limbs. His arms were under him, legs tingled, the fabric not helping in making the mesh better. Actually, now that I thought about it, my looking over him reminding me, he wasn't wearing any pants. His fall managed to bring the tunic up to his waist, and giving full view of his…
Oh, my God, I think I'm getting a nose bleed.
A low whistle came from behind me. "Now that's a nice ass."
Oliver's face brightens into a newfound shade of red, his hands immediately working to righting the disarray the clothes were in. Somewhere, deep inside of me, I felt sorry for the boy, and I should say otherwise, but before the feeling could even be acknowledge, I felt a familiar grips of anger flashing inside of me.
"Cul, you perv!" Please, completely ignore the blood trickling down my nose. "That's it! I'm sending you out of the store for sexual harassment!"
"Me! You should really look in a mirror. Hurry off before your blood stains any of the clothes here."
That. Did. It. I jumped on her with the intent to straggle her before I felt a strong grip grasp the back of my neck; likewise, a strong arm latched onto the back of Cul's coat.
"Ladies, if you are going to start a fight in here," Prima's sweet voice entered ominously in our ears, "I fight I did not start, by the way, then you two are better off outside with the mongrels."
Long story short, Prima bashed us both aside the head. At least Cul got her just desserts. Oliver stood in the sidelines, fidgeting in obvious embarrassment for the previous activities, pointedly keeping his eyes away from us.
"Cul, if you're not here to browse, I'll have to request for you to leave. It's not good if a customer comes in and caught sight of this mess." The boss left it at that, turning away from us to return to her work. Against my better wishes, I remained on the floor, sitting on the back of my legs, shifting every few seconds in the awkward position, just mulling over time. Cul, on the other hand, rose from her sitting position, standing up to full height.
"Finally got a reaction of ya, huh?" She gave me a cheeky grin, the kind I wanted to wipe out of her face. I couldn't see why she looked so proud of herself right now. She laughed when she took in my reaction, eyes closing in the bliss of the moment. "Normally, you ignore me like I wasn't here. It makes me feel happy I got something out of you at last." She crouched down back to my height, her grin lessening to a smile. "Think you can talk to me like that more often? I'd appreciate it."
Okay, I have a smart comeback for this, I honest to God do. Actually, I think it's better if I stay quiet. I'm supposed to ignore her. But for once, instead of having a throttling comment at the ready, my mind choose that moment to blank out, to process what she just said to me.
Gosh darn it, it felt good to be talked to. Ever since I got here a few weeks back not a one has spoken to me in a friendly tone like that, save Prima. I felt, what was the word…
"Quit flattering yourself." I huffed looking away. It was all in the effort of hiding the blush quickly forming on my face – and the tears threatening to spill.
Again, I heard Cul giggle behind me, before she said, "All right, then, as long as you get the hint. I got somewhere to be, so maybe we can hang out tomorrow. …Maybe even with that cute boy over there."
"Get out!" The impish redhead left with a bark of laughter, the clinking of bells punctuating her departure. I sat steaming a little bit longer, not noticing Oliver had approached me until he spoke up.
"Are you okay, Aria?"
I looked at him, a kind of soft expression on my face now that the tears were settling away. But just as soon as they went away, a mischievous expression of my own appeared on my face.
"So, when I asked you to get dressed in the garb, you decided to go commando, huh?"
The look on his face was priceless.
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A/N: IA had a moment of weakness. I won't be dwelling on crossdressing much since there are enough Shouta comments on Oliver and several other Vocaloid on here. (That won't stop her from trying, though.) Anyway, sentimental chapter. Again it feels awkward. Oh, well. Until next time. Ja mata ne!